“The electricity infrastructure is arguably the single most important feature in any city. If unavailable for a significant enough period of time, all other functions will eventually cease,” according to BW Smart Cities.

Smart grids are essential to some smart cities in India where the country faces energy woes. Smart grids address burdensome issues such as massive transmission, distribution losses, and power thefts. In India, cities do not have a single owner for all services. So, it may seem impossible to integrate all infrastructure and services on a common platform. Extending the available digital platform of one domain, such as power, to offer services in other domains like water, gas, traffic, security, and pollution can be a starting point.

When disaster strikes, smart grids shed load in a predictable and more manageable fashion. This allows critical city infrastructure and functions such as police, hospitals, water supply, to be maintained and supported by microgrids. Smart grids also restore power rapidly to areas where alternate routes are available. It’s important to ensure that smart grids are well-protected because of their role in smart cities. ClearWorld’s smart city solutions contain integrated components designed to protect critical smart grid hardware. InterGrid’s metered energy combined with peak demand management contributes directly to infrastructure costs savings. During emergencies and unexpected grid outages, ClearWorld and its Intergrid technology provide invaluable critical services to clients.

A smart grid’s role in a smart city is primarily to resolve three issues. First, to modernize power systems. Second, to educate the public about their energy usage. Lastly, to provide reliable integration of distributed and renewable energy resources. These three roles make smart grids invaluable and are the reason why smart grids are at the heart of functional smart cities.